Dock shock absorption device

ABSTRACT

A dock shock absorption device includes a frame and one or more energy dissipative elements. The frame is attached to a dock with the frame enclosing a pylon. The one or more energy dissipative elements attach to the frame and are equal to or less than 1 inch from the pylon.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

BACKGROUND

Floating docks are generally used at shorelines with fluctuating water levels. Floating docks are composed, at least partially, of buoyant pontoons that allow the docks to float on the surface of the water. To prevent the docks from drifting away from shore, the floating docks are generally secured to pylons that are entrenched in the ground or attached to anchors. Floating docks are useful in that the docks can be easily modified if needed by adding, removing, or rearranging the layout of the floating dock.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features and advantages of examples of the present disclosure will be apparent by reference to the following detailed description and drawings, in which like reference numerals correspond to similar, but in some instances, not identical, components. Reference numerals or features having a previously described function may or may not be described in connection with other drawings in which they appear.

FIG. 1A-1B are examples of a top view and an isometric view of a dock shock absorption device, respectively;

FIG. 2 is an example of a cross-sectional view of the dock shock absorption device;

FIG. 3A-3B are another example of a top view and a isometric view, respectively, of the dock shock absorption device;

FIG. 4 is an example of a dock shock absorption device with two frames including one or more energy dissipative elements; and

FIG. 5 is another example of a dock shock absorption device with six frames including one or more energy dissipative elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

There are several means of attaching a floating dock to a pylon. The most basic approach involves a metal hoop around a wooden pylon. Another example includes surrounding the pylon with equally spaced bumpers to provide minimal impact resistance. In yet another example, rollers surround the pylon to reduce friction of the pylon onto the bumper. However, none of these current approaches significantly reduces the impact damage between the dock and the pylon.

Normally, a floating dock has pylons along the perimeter where each pylon is surrounded by bumpers with gaps. A boat can be tied to the dock with an inflatable bumper between the boat and the dock. The bumpers surrounding the pylon have sufficient gaps around the pylon to allow for motion. However, when a wave hits the dock, the dock moves with the wave until the bumper impacts the pylon. Then the boat moves with the wave and the line connecting the boat and the pylon goes taut imparting significant forces onto the boat. Simultaneously, if an individual is walking on the dock when the dock hits the bumper, the dock becomes briefly unstable, which can potentially cause injury to individuals walking on the dock if they fall.

A dock shock absorption device is disclosed herein that reduces impact loads between the floating dock and pylon, thereby reducing impact loads on pylons that the floating docks attach to, the boats tied to the floating docks, and individuals walking on the floating docks. In addition, the dock shock absorption device allows floating docks to be implemented on misaligned pylons, which can reduce the time and expense of installing new pylons.

The dock shock absorption device herein includes a frame and one or more energy dissipative elements. The frame is attached to a dock with the frame enclosing a pylon. The one or more energy dissipative elements attach to the frame and are equal to or less than 1 inch from the pylon.

Referring now to FIG. 1A-1B, an example of the dock shock absorption device 100 is shown. FIG. 1A-1B is for illustrative purposes only to aid in the understanding of the dock shock absorption device 100 and should not be construed as being limiting or directed to a particular material or materials. FIG. 1A shows a top view of an example of the dock shock absorption device 100. FIG. 1B shows an isometric view of an example of the dock shock absorption device 100. The dock shock absorption device 100 includes a frame 106 where the frame 106 is attached to a dock 102 with the frame 106 enclosing a pylon 104. The frame 106 is attached to the dock 102 via attachment means 110, such as bolts with nuts, screws, one or more fixed energy dissipative elements, one or more skids between the frame 106 and the dock 102, or any other means of attaching the frame 106 to the dock 102. The dock 102 may be any type of floating dock. The pylon 104 may be any sized pylon 104 that a floating dock may be attached to. The frame 106 may be any suitable material that is can withstand the impact forces from the pylon 104 and the marine environment (e.g., noncorrosive material). Some examples of the material the frame is composed of includes aluminum, stainless steel, steel, or wood. Additionally, the frame 106 may be any size that encloses the pylon 104 as shown in FIG. 1A-1B.

Referring to FIG. 2 , a cross-sectional view of an example of the dock shock absorption device 100 is shown. The hatching in FIG. 2 is for illustrative purposes only to aid in the understanding of the dock shock absorption device 100 and should not be construed as being limiting or directed to a particular material or materials. As shown in FIG. 2 , in an example, the frame 106 attaches to the dock 102 with attachment means 110 as previously described herein. The frame 106 is attached such that the frame 106 extends partially below the dock 102 to attach the one or more energy dissipative elements 108. In this example, the frame 106 is surrounded by the dock 102 rather than being attached to the side of the dock 102. In other examples, the frame 106 may be attached to the side of the dock 102.

Referring back to FIG. 1A-1B, the dock shock absorption device 100 also includes one or more energy dissipative elements 108 attached to the frame 106 where the one or more energy dissipative elements 108 are equal to or less than 1 inch from the pylon 104. In some examples, there is only one the energy dissipative element 108. In another example, there is at least one energy dissipative element 108 on each side of the frame 106 as shown in FIG. 1A-1B. The one or more energy dissipative elements 108 have an energy rating ranging from about 50 lb*in to about 50,000 lb*in. The one or more energy dissipative elements 108 may be selected from the group consisting of wire rope isolators, a rubber encased wire rope isolators, pads, spring dampener, spring dampener with wheels, rollers, leaf springs, or a combination thereof. In some examples, when the one or more energy dissipative elements 108 are the pads or rollers, the pads or rollers may be made of a material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, peek plastic, Aluminum 5086. In another example, when the one or more energy dissipative elements 108 are pads, the pads may be an ultra-high molecular weight plate that is attached to the frame 106.

Another example of the dock shock absorption device 100 is shown in FIG. 3A-3B. FIG. 3A-3B is for illustrative purposes only to aid in the understanding of the dock shock absorption device 100 and should not be construed as being limiting or directed to a particular material or materials. FIG. 3A shows a top view of the dock shock absorption device 100 with a frame 106 and four energy dissipative elements 108. FIG. 3B is an isometric view of the dock shock absorption device 100 with a frame 106 and four energy dissipative elements 108. In this example, there are four energy dissipative elements 108 that are spring dampeners with wheels. In addition, the four energy dissipative elements 108 directly contact the pylon 104. The wheels allow the energy dissipative elements 108 to roll vertically with the dock 102 when waves causes vertical movement. The spring dampeners allow the energy dissipative elements to absorb lateral movement caused by waves when the dock 102 shifts side to side.

Referring now to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 , two examples are shown of the dock shock absorption device 400, 500 with one or more additional frames 106 where each individual frame 106 attaches to an individual pylon 104 and the dock 102 and each individual frame 106 includes one or more energy dissipative elements 108. In the example in FIG. 4 , an isometric view of the dock shock absorption device 400 includes two frames 106 attached to the dock 102 with each frame 106 enclosing an individual pylon 104. Each frame 106 also includes four energy dissipative elements 108 as a rubber encased wire rope isolator attached to a pad. In the example in FIG. 5 , a top view of the dock shock absorption device 500 includes six frames 106 attached to the dock 102 with each frame 106 enclosing an individual pylon 104. Each frame 106 also includes four energy dissipative elements 108 as a rubber encased wire rope isolator attached to a pad. In both FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 , the frames 106 of the dock shock absorption device 400, 500 are enclosed by the dock 102. This provides more space for boats 402 to dock at the pier and secure to the dock 102. In other examples, the frames 106 may be attached to the side of the dock 102 rather than being enclosed by the dock 102.

A dock shock absorption system may also be utilized herein. The dock shock absorption system includes a frame 106 and one or more energy dissipative elements 108. The frame 106 and one or more energy dissipative elements 108 may be the same frame 106 and one or more energy dissipative elements 108 as previously described herein in reference to FIG. 1A-1B.

As used herein, the term “about” is used to provide flexibility to a numerical range endpoint by providing that a given value may be “a little above” or “a little below” the endpoint. The degree of flexibility of this term can be dictated by the particular variable and would be within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to determine based on experience and the associated description herein.

As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, no individual member of a list should be construed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list merely based on their presentation in a common group without indications to the contrary.

Unless otherwise stated, any feature described herein can be combined with any aspect or any other feature described herein.

Reference throughout the specification to “one example”, “another example”, “an example”, means that a particular element (e.g., feature, structure, and/or characteristic) described in connection with the example is included in at least one example described herein, and may or may not be present in other examples. In addition, the described elements for any example may be combined in any suitable manner in the various examples unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

The ranges provided herein include the stated range and any value or sub-range within the stated range. For example, a range from about 50 lb-in to about 50,000 lb-in should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited limits of from about 50 lb-in to about 50,000 lb-in, but also to include individual values, such as 3,000 lb-in, 7,000 lb-in, 35,000 lb-in etc., and sub-ranges, such as from about 5,000 lb-in to about 15,000 lb-in, etc.

In describing and claiming the examples disclosed herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. 

1. A dock shock absorption device, comprising: a frame, wherein the frame is attached to a dock with the frame enclosing a pylon; and one or more rubber encased wire rope isolators attached to the frame on a first side, wherein each rubber encased wire rope isolator includes a pad attached to a second side of each rubber encased wire rope isolator that is equal to or less than 1 inch from the pylon.
 2. The dock shock absorption device of claim 1, wherein there is at least one rubber encased wire rope isolator on each side of the frame. 3-4. (canceled)
 5. The dock shock absorption device of claim 1, wherein the pads are an ultra-high molecular weight plate.
 6. The dock shock absorption device of claim 1, further including one or more additional frames wherein each individual frame attaches to the dock, surrounds an individual pylon, and includes one or more rubber encased wire rope isolators.
 7. The dock shock absorption device of claim 1, wherein the frame is attached to the dock using one or more fixed energy dissipative elements or one or more skids between the frame and the dock.
 8. The dock shock absorption device of claim 1, wherein the one or more energy dissipative elements have an energy rating ranging from about 50 lb-in to about 50,000 lb-in.
 9. A dock shock absorption system, comprising: a frame, wherein the frame is attached to a dock with the frame enclosing a pylon; and one or more rubber encased wire rope isolators attached to the frame on a first side, wherein each rubber encased wire rope isolator includes a pad attached to a second side of each rubber encased wire rope isolator that directly contacts the frame.
 10. The dock shock absorption system of claim 9, wherein there is at least one rubber encased wire rope isolator on each side of the frame. 11-12. (canceled)
 13. The dock shock absorption system of claim 9, wherein the pads are an ultra-high molecular weight plate.
 14. The dock shock absorption system of claim 9, further including one or more additional frames wherein each individual frame attaches to the dock, surrounds an individual pylon, and includes one or more rubber encased wire rope isolators.
 15. The dock shock absorption system of claim 9, wherein the frame is attached to the dock using one or more fixed energy dissipative elements or one or more skids between the frame and the dock.
 16. The dock shock absorption system of claim 9, wherein the one or more energy dissipative elements have a size ranging from about 50 lb-in to about 50,000 lb-in.
 17. A dock shock absorption device, comprising: a frame, wherein the frame is attached to a dock with the frame enclosing a pylon; and one or more spring dampeners attached perpendicular to the frame on a first side, wherein each spring dampener includes a wheel attached to a second side of each spring dampener that is equal to or less than 1 inch from the pylon.
 18. The dock shock absorption device of claim 17, wherein there is at least one spring dampener on each side of the frame.
 19. The dock shock absorption device of claim 17, further including one or more additional frames wherein each individual frame attaches to the dock, surrounds an individual pylon, and includes one or more spring dampeners.
 20. The dock shock absorption device of claim 17, wherein the frame is attached to the dock using one or more fixed energy dissipative elements or one or more skids between the frame and the dock.
 21. The dock shock absorption device of claim 17, wherein the frame is attached to the side of the dock.
 22. The dock shock absorption device of claim 1, wherein the pads are made of a material selected from a group consisting of stainless steel, peek plastic, or Aluminum
 5086. 23. The dock shock absorption device of claim 1, wherein the frame is attached to the side of the dock. 